Soilclock

Montana 40°F soil temperature

Updated Nov 4, 2026, 7:41 AM EST

The middle reading of 3 Montana cities, 2 inches down, on Nov 3. Pick a city for its forecast and lawn calendar.

Montana cities today

Estimated daily average soil temperature at 2 inches, the difference from normal for the date, and the change over the last week. Montana spans cool-season grass country.

City2 in4 invs normal7 daysCrabgrass windowFall seeding ends
Billings 41°43° −3°−4° Apr 19 – May 16 Oct 13
Missoula 38°40° −1°−5° Apr 29 – May 18 Oct 9
Great Falls 40°41° −2°+1° May 2 – May 20 Oct 5

When to apply pre-emergent in Montana

Crabgrass pre-emergent goes down when 2-inch soil holds about 50°F. Across Montana that has typically happened first in Billings, around Apr 19, and last in Great Falls, around May 2. The window closes when soil holds 55°F and crabgrass starts sprouting.

Close view of a Kentucky bluegrass lawn
Kentucky bluegrass, the most common cool-season lawn grass in the northern US.

Last good week to seed in Montana

Tall fescue and bluegrass seed sprouts best while 4-inch soil is between 55 and 70°F. The typical last day above 55°F:

What grows in Montana lawns

Crabgrass is the weed spring pre-emergents are timed for. Lawns here are mostly cool-season grasses such as bluegrass and fescue.

Large crabgrass with its spreading finger-like seed heads
Large crabgrass in seed. Each plant can drop thousands of seeds that wait for warm spring soil.
Close view of a Kentucky bluegrass lawn
Kentucky bluegrass, the most common cool-season lawn grass in the northern US.
A low mat of bermudagrass with fine blades and seed heads
Bermudagrass, the warm-season grass behind most lawns from the Carolinas to Texas.

Other states